Belagavi: Former Karnataka minister and BJP MLC CT Ravi has alleged that the police refused to register a zero FIR or disclose the charges against him following his arrest on Thursday for making ‘derogatory’ remarks against Karnataka’s Minister for Women and Child Development, Laxmi Hebbalkar.
“The police brought me to the station around 8 PM but have not disclosed the charges against me. They have neither registered my complaint nor filed a zero FIR. I suspect a conspiracy to murder me disguised as this case, and if anything happens to me, the Congress government will be held accountable,” Ravi said, accusing the Congress-led state government of orchestrating a politically motivated case against him.
Ravi was arrested from the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha premises and later taken to the Khanapur police station, 25 km away. He alleged that Hebbalkar, along with other Congress leaders including DK Shivakumar, Saddam, and Chamaraja Hattiholi, was part of a plot against him.
“They are treating me like a criminal,” Ravi remarked. “As a former minister and representative of the people, such treatment raises serious doubts about their motives.” He vehemently denied allegations of sexual harassment, calling them baseless and politically driven.
The controversy erupted after Hebbalkar accused Ravi of making sexually abusive remarks during a heated debate in the Karnataka Assembly. The exchange reportedly stemmed from remarks by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, perceived as insulting to Dr BR Ambedkar.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka accused the police of torturing Ravi in custody and ignoring opposition concerns. “The police station now functions as a Congress office. We waited for hours, but no official addressed our concerns. This is ‘goondaraj’ under the Congress,” he said, alleging that Ravi suffered injuries during his detention.
The BJP’s Karnataka unit echoed these sentiments, accusing the state government of plotting harm against Ravi. “It’s shocking and condemnable that an elected representative is being treated this way. There are suspicions that the government is planning to orchestrate further violence under the guise of law enforcement,” the party said in a statement.
The incident has heightened tensions between the ruling Congress and opposition BJP in Karnataka. While the BJP has accused the Congress of political vendetta and silencing dissent, Congress leaders maintain that the law is taking its course.
This controversy highlights the increasingly volatile political climate in the state, with both parties trading accusations of abuse of power and eroding democratic norms.
